Strap for restraining hand and arm movement



April 26, 1966 T. F. CALLAHAN 3,247,843

STRAP FOR RESTRAINING HAND AND ARM MOVEMENT Filed April 5, 1964 INVENTOR. VIZ-00025 A CAALAH/M/ i/ wmm' United States Patent Ofitice 3,247,843 Patented Apr. 26, 1966 3,247,843 STRAP FOR RESTRAINING HAND AND ARM MOVEMENT Theodore F. Callahan, Iron River, Wis. Filed Apr. 3, 1964, tier. No. 357,036

3 Claims. (fill. 128-134) The present invention relates generally to a device for restraining or restricting arm and hand movement of a patient, and more particularly to a strap or the like which is adapted to provide for limited movement of arms and hands, while protecting the patient from contacting his upper body, neck or head with his hands, particularly when this type of contact is deemed inadvisable.

When an individual has undergone surgery, or has suffered from accidental injury to the upper portions of his body, it is frequently necessary to restrict the unconscious use of hands to avoid intenference with bandages and avoid contamination of wounds. This is also true during surgery. For example, during and following eye surgery, such as cataract and detached retina operations, the more pressure on the lids or bandages over the eye might cause permanent damage or blindness. Also, during and following ear surgery, restriction to the movement of the patients hands is particularly indicated. The same desirable restriction is sometimes imposed following accidental injury involving the upper body, head or face and also in the treatment of certain skin diseases, such as eczema or other dermatitus conditions on the face, neck and chest. Though specific reference is made to hospitalized patients, the apparatus of the present invention is equally well suited to patients convalesc-ing in the home or other institutions. In addition, the apparatus of the present invention, with a modification of size, is adapted to restrict the movement of p the hands and arms of infants and young children in order to avoid face scratching, thumb-sucking, and other habits which may be otherwise diificult to control. Another occasion which indicates the use of the arm and hand movement is during the administration of oxygen through nasal tubes. In this connection, restriction of the pa-tients hands from removing, disrupting or otherwise disturbing the oxygen supply is appropriate when movement of the tubes may cause tearing of the nose tissue and otherwise causing hemorrhages.

Apparatus for restricting or restraining arm and hand movements have been employed in the past. Frequently, these devices are utilized to impose severe limitations on the movement possible, such as the securing of a patients hands to the bed rail or the like. It has been found, however, that when a patients hands are confined or secured to the bed rail, the patient frequently becomes nervous and irritated as a result of this limitation of movement. On the other hand, if the patient is permitted limited movement of his hands, he may slide down in his bed, either while awake or asleep, and though his hands are still restricted relative to the bed, he may still contact his head and face, and the essential purpose of the restricted arm and hand movement fails. vantages are not encountered in connection with the use of the present invention.

In accordance with the present invention, a restraining web fabricated from flexible material, such as a strap, band, belt, cord or the like, and designed to withstand tensile stresses, is provided. This web has an elongated body portion, together with a pair of elongated fingers or tying tapes secured along and to opposite ends of the elongated body. The restriction of movement is accomplished by fastening one end of the restraining web or strap about the upper leg or thigh near the crotch and then fastening the other end to thewr-ist. In the event These disad-- the patient should slide downwardly in his bed, the same relative restriction will exist, and, thus, once the apparatus is secured to the patient, he cannot contact his head with his hands.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved device for restricting the movement of the arms and hands of a patient, the device being readily adaptable for adjustment in order to accommodate patients of various heights and also to accommodate various degrees of movement of the arms and hands.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved restraining device for restricting arm and hand movement of a patient wherein the restraining means is secured to the body of the patient and the same limited degree of movement is possible regardless of the.

disposition of the patient.

It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide an improved means for restraining arm and hand movement.

Other and further objects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a study of the following specification, appended claims and ac companying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a bedridden patient having the apparatus of the present invention secured between his wrists and upper thighs for providing restriction of movement for his arms and hands;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the restraining device fabricated in accordance wit-h the present invention;

FIGURES 3, 4, 5 and 6 are fragmentary perspective views showing the end pontions of the restraining apparatus in various degrees of completion of the securing of the apparatus to'the patients wrist or thigh;

FIGURES 7, 8 and 9 are detail views of a patients forearm and hand, and showing the manner in which the restraining apparatus is secured to the patients wrist.

In accordance with the preferred modification of the present invention, the restraining member generally designated It) is comprised of a body portion 11, together with a pair of elongated finger portions or tying tapes I2 and 13, which are secured to opposite ends of the body portion 11. The body portion 11 is comprised of a thin flexible web, strap, band, belt, cord or other material. However, it is preferably in the form of a thin cotton fabric, such as sheeting or the like, folded over upon itself, with the tying tapes 12 and 13 being integral therewith. A plurality of eyelets or the like 15-15 and 16 16 are provided along body portion 11 adjacent the tying tapes 12 and 13, and are adapted to receive these elements therethrough.

With respect to FIGURE 1, a pair of these restraining members are shown secured to a bedridden patient, one to each thigh and wrist area. In order to secure the member to the patient, the ends of the body portion are wrapped about the wrist and thigh and the tying tapes are passed through the eyelets as indicated in FIGURE 3. The tapes are ultimately brought around the body portion 11 and tied'in the form of a square knot or the like as indicated in FIGURES 4, 5 and 6. FIGURES 7, 8 and 9 indicate a somewhat modified form of securing of the restraining device about the patients wrist, the tapes 12-12 'again being tied in the form of a square knot, as indicated.

It will be appreciated that the restraining device of the present invention may be made in a multitude of sizes, shapes and forms and with a variety of materials and loop fastening means, certain of these being more practical than others from an economic or end use purpose. The example described hereinabove is accordingly typical of the type of device which can be fabricated in this manner.

The restraining means of the present invention as d scribed hereinabove may typically consist of a strip of cotton sheeting four inches wide and six feet long. This material is folded lengthwise and sewed together to provide a two inch strip of double thickness.

At each end, the tapes 12-42 and 13-13 are formed by preparing a center cut through material for approximately 12 inches. The open sides of the tapes may then be sewn shut to provide the material for forming the loops at the wrist area or the leg area. The eyelets 15-15 and 16-16 are formed in the same manner as a conventional buttonhole or the like, although other eyelet means may be employed, such as metal grommets or the like. The amount of material required to form a leg loop for a normal adult is about 18 inches, and for the wrist loop is about 16 inches. The disposition of the individual eyelets 15-15 and 1616 is to provide a means for adjusting the sizes of the wrist and thigh loops to adapt the restraining means to different patients and also for reducing the distance between the leg area and the wrist area, and thus limit or control the extent of the restraining of movement. It will be appreciated that various degrees of restriction may be necessary for various patients in accordance with the specific requirements of the patient.

With young children and the like, various length requirements are generally utilized. Accordingly, the over all length of the device, together with the disposition of the holes, loop sizes and the like must be arranged to accommodate the individual to the degree of adjustment required or desired. In this connection, the set of slots at the wrist end together with the slots at the leg end may be used to modify or shorten the intervening distance between the two tied loops. This is accomplished by weaving the tapes back and forth through as many additional slots as required, and then gathering or showing a portion of the intervening web therebetween to thereby shorten the restriction. By means of these adjustments, it is possible to arrange a maximum degree of flexibility for size with a minimum number of standard sizes.

It will be appreciated that those skilled in the art may depart from the specific. examples without actually departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

What is claimed:

1. A restraining means for restricting the arm movement of a patient comprising an elongated fiexible strap of predetermined length, a first pair of elongated tying tapes on one end of said strap, a second pair of elongated tying tapes on the other end of said strap, said strap having at least one slot therein located near said one end, said first pair of tying tapes, said one slot and that portion of said strap lying between them defining means for forming a non-slipping loop in closely encircling relation to the patients wrist, said strap having at least one other slot therein located near said other end, said second pair of tying tapes, said other slot and that portion of said strap lying between them defining means for forming a nonslipping loop in closely encircling relation to the patients thigh, whereby the patients wrist may be tethered to his thigh.

2. A restraining means as defined in claim 1, said body portion having a plurality of longitudinally spaced slots near said one end thereof and a second plurality of slots near said other end thereof, whereby non-slipping end loops of various sizes can be made at both ends of said body portion to adapt the restraining means to fit different patients and whereby the length of said body portion between said wrist and thigh loops may be adjusted.

3. A restraining device for anchoring a patients arm to his leg comprising an elongated flexible strap of predetermined length, means at one end of said strap for defining a non-slipping wrist-encircling loop and means at the other end for defining a non-slipping thigh-encircling loop, each of said loop defining means comprising a pair of tying tapes at the respective end of said strap and a plurality of longitudinally spaced openings through said strap, said tying tapes being adapted to be inserted through a selected one of said openings and then knotted around said strap.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,211,203 8/1940 Goldman 128l33 2,289,726 7/1942 Prespare 128134 2,486,114 10/1949 Cataldo 128-134 3,098,479 7/1963 Storey 128-134 ADELE M. EAGER, Primary Examiner. 

1. A RESTRAINING MEANS FOR RESTRICTING THE ARM MOVEMENT OF A PATIENT COMPRISING AN ELONGATED FLEXIBLE STRAP OF PREDETERMINED LENGTH, A FIRST PAIR OF ELONGATED TYING TAPES ON ONE END OF SAID STRAP, A SECOND PAIR OF ELONGATED TYING TAPES ON THE OTHER END OF SAID STRAP, SAID STRAP HAVING AT LEAST ONE SLOT THEREIN LOCATED NEAR SAID ONE END, SAID FIRST PAIR OF TYING TAPES, SAID ONE SLOT AND THAT PORTION OF SAID STRAP LYING BETWEEN THEM DEFINING MEANS FOR FORMING A NON-SLIPPING LOOP IN CLOSELY ENCIRCLING RELATION TO THE PATIENT''S WRIST, SAID STRAP HAVING AT LEAST ONE OTHER SLOT THEREIN LOCATED NEAR SAID OTHER END, SAID SECOND PAIR OF TYING TAPES, SAID OTHER SLOT AND THAT PORTION OF SAID STRAP LYING BETWEEN THEM DEFINING MEANS FOR FORMING A NONSLIPPING LOOP IN CLOSELY ENCIRCLING RELATION TO THE PATIENT''S TIGHT, WHEREBY THE PATIENT''S WRIST MAY BE TETHERED TO HIS THIGH. 